plank

Definitions

1. 1.Fig.: That which supports or upholds, as a board does a swimmer. His charity is a better plank than the faith of an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot. Southey.
2. 2.One of the separate articles in a declaration of the principles of a party or cause; as, a plank in the national platform. [Cant] Plank road, or Plank way, a road surface formed of planks. [U.S.] -- To walk the plank, to walk along a plank laid across the bulwark of a ship, until one overbalances it and falls into the sea; -- a method of disposing of captives practiced by pirates.
3. 3.To cover or lay with planks; as, to plank a floor or a ship. "Planked with pine." Dryden.
4. 4.To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash; as, to plank money in a wager. [Colloq. U.S.]
5. 5.To harden, as hat bodies, by felting.
6. 6.(Wooden Manuf.) To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing. Planked shad, shad split open, fastened to a plank, and roasted before a wood fire.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "plank" mean?
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Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is plank.

• What is fig.: That which supports or upholds, as a board does a swimmer. His charity is a better plank than the faith of an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot. Southey called?
• What is to cover or lay with planks; as, to plank a floor or a ship. "Planked with pine." Dryden called?
• What is to lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash; as, to plank money in a wager. [Colloq. U.S.] called?
• What is to splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing. Planked shad, shad split open, fastened to a plank, and roasted before a wood fire called?